Most people who want to build a birdhouse choose to do so in a more traditional manner with boards, a saw, hammer and nails. However, birds aren't always picky about where they make their nest. As long as you can provide an enclosed area with good ventilation and light, a bird will make its own within your birdhouse. This means you can build a birdhouse out of a number of recycled materials. Building a bird house from recycled materials is a fairly simple task:
Coffee Can
If you drink coffee, you probably have some coffee cans lying around. These cans can be reused to create a birdhouse.
Step 1
Wash out the coffee can to remove any coffee bean residue from inside. Birds want a clean place to make a nest.
Step 2
Cut a hole out of the plastic cover from the coffee can. The hole should only be about an inch to an inch and a half in diameter and should be located off center on the lid.
Step 3
Place the cover onto the coffee can and lay the can on its side. The hole in the lid should be closer to the top of the upper edge of the can instead of the side or lower edge.
Step 4
Use a sharp object to punch a small hole into the lid about an inch below the hole you cut out. Insert a stick or wood dowel into the hole you punch to serve as a perch for the birds.
Step 5
Screw in two eyelets into the top side of the coffee can. Attach a chain or rope to these eyelets to hang the birdhouse in a safe location, such as in a tree or on a fence.
Milk Bottle
Many households have empty milk bottles almost weekly, or possibly even more often. Instead of throwing these away or recycling them, you can turn them into birdhouses for your yard.
Step 1
Wash the bottle out thoroughly to remove any milk from inside. Allow it to dry completely before creating your birdhouse.
Step 2
Replace the cap on the bottle and lay it on its side with the handle facing up. You will use the handle to hang the birdhouse.
Step 3
Cut out a round hole from the bottom of the milk jug that is about an inch to an inch and a half in diameter to give the birds entrance into the birdhouse. The hole should be about 2/3 of the way up the milk jug.
Step 4
Punch a small hole into the bottle about an inch below the hole you cut and insert a stick or wooden dowel to make a perch for the birds.
Step 5
Tie a string around the handle in a loop and hang the milk jug birdhouse in a tree or other high place around your home.
Building birdhouses from recycled materials makes a good project to do with your children in the spring or summer when birds are looking for a place to nest and your children are bored. In addition to making a good craft project, it also helps show your children that some objects have new uses. It serves as a lesson in saving the environment and reusing objects instead of just throwing them away.